Group of 8 leaders agree to exclude Russia

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — President Barack Obama and the leaders of the biggest Western economies agreed Monday to exclude President Vladimir Putin from the Group of 8, suspending his government's 15-year participation in the diplomatic forum and further isolating his country after its takeover of Crimea.

Meanwhile, a power failure plunged much of the Crimean capital of Simferopol into darkness Monday, the second partial blackout in two days. It appeared to be retaliation by the Ukrainian government in Kiev against Russia's occupation and annexation of the peninsula.

In a joint statement after a two-hour, closed-door G-8 meeting that included the U.S., the four largest economies in Europe, Japan and Canada, the leaders of the seven nations announced that a summit meeting planned for Sochi, Russia, in June now will now be held in Brussels — without Russia's participation.

“This group came together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities. Russia's actions in recent weeks are not consistent with them,” the statement said. “Under these circumstances, we will not participate in the planned Sochi Summit. We will suspend our participation in the G-8 until Russia changes course.”

Leaders said it represented only part of a series of punishments that still might escalate if Russia refuses to reverse course, the statement said.

In particular, the countries agreed to consider broader sanctions against large sectors of the Russian economy. Obama had signaled last week that the United States was prepared to take such a move, and officials said his decision to call a meeting of the G-8 countries was in part intended to persuade them to do the same.

Such sanctions could have an outsized impact on European economies with close economic ties to Russia.

In Crimea, the blackout underscored the vulnerability of the isolated peninsula, which depends on mainland Ukraine for many vital services, including electricity and much of its water supply.

Officials there and in Moscow had anticipated such a move by the Ukrainian government. In recent days, regional officials said they'd acquired 900 generators to provide electricity to vital buildings.